


Necromori

by Ray_yy



Category: OMORI (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Happy Ending, Necromancy, Post-True Route
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 18:36:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 13,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29688234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ray_yy/pseuds/Ray_yy
Summary: Guess who learned how to do Necromancy... it was Hero... Hero learned Necromancy
Relationships: Aubrey/Sunny (OMORI), Hero/Mari (OMORI)
Comments: 40
Kudos: 156





	1. Chapter 1

“You know when I heard you died I didn’t expect myself to be going down a career path of doctorate in which I’d have to dig you up from your own grave,” Hero chuckled as the shovel scraped at the last bits of earth on Mari’s coffin. Sunny was there too, still a little hesitant about digging up his own sister's grave.

It was a day like no other when he received that letter. It was from Hero, he had not contacted him for god knows how long since he told him about Mari’s murder. Hero had left town that weekend, no one could contact him. Kel was worried sick and Aubrey and Basil tried to visit the forest themselves but were stopped by local authorities. Some superstition about witches living in the forest made it unavailable to the public.

Hero came back in fall. He lost a few pounds but was still the Hero that they all knew and loved. He seemed to disappear every year around that time until… well recently when he came back in the middle of summer. He had just finished college receiving a PhD in experimental surgery. They had a big party where everyone was invited, even Sunny.

Sunny had finished highschool and was contemplating whether to attend college. He had moved away from far away town but had kept in touch with his friends. It was fortunate that the party was going on during the week Sunny was back in town. He would visit once a month to pay respects to his sister and play with his friends. Everyone was back on good terms and all was going well. Except for Hero of course. Sunny never really had a chance to talk to Hero after that day. While Kel had assured him that Hero had long forgiven Sunny it was hard to tell if that was really the case.

The party was great and Sunny was finally able to see Hero again. He hadn’t grown much since he last saw him. In fact Kel had overtaken him in height. He was still handsome as always and was still the kind Hero that Sunny had always admired. Hero was surprisingly nice to Sunny, treating him no differently than he would’ve a few years ago. Though during the party they didn’t really have much time to talk, there were a lot of new faces there, some of which Sunny had never met before.

After the party and the gang being the only ones left behind to help clean up, Hero came up to Sunny. “Hey Sunny could I talk to you out in the back.” Hero said a bit more sternly in his expression than during the party. Sunny shrugged and followed him. He didn’t seem angry and Sunny himself still wanted to apologize to Hero for what he had done.  
The garden was the same as he had always remembered. An open field with one tree, a few potted plants and a few more flowerbeds. As Sunny walked outside he felt a soft plush under his feet followed by a large squeak, it was a dog toy Hector had left in the backyard… poor Hector he will be missed.

  
“Hey Sunny, haven’t talked like this with you in a while huh,” Hero chuckled as he picked up the dog toy from the floor.  
“H...Hey Hero.” Sunny said, the dog toy hard put him slightly on edge.  
“I’m glad to see you’re doing okay, I heard from Kel that everything’s been great for you at your new town.”

“Y...Yeah.. it has”  
“Sunny… are you still worried I’m mad at you? Don’t worry I was furious at you then but now… now I’ve realized that it’s ok… it’s all ok.”  
“H...Hero are you ok? You’re shaking a bit.”  
“Oh, sorry I was just thinking about something.”  
“Ok… so what did you want to tell me?”  
“Sunny… I could bring back Mari… but we can’t talk about it here, I’ll send you a notification soon, when that time comes, meet me at her grave.”  
“W..What.. Hero what do you mean…”  
“Now’s not the time Sunny, see you then.”  
With that Hero went back into the house. Sunny couldn’t sleep that night. What does he mean by he could bring back Mari? Had Hero gone insane? Maybe he should talk to Kel about this… no it would just worry him.

So that’s how he got here, standing and watching as Hero furiously digs up her grave. Was this wrong? Probably but at this point he wasn’t going to stop Hero. He knew Hero would respect Mari’s corpse and also he was kinda interested in what he meant by he could bring back Mari.  
Hero had finally dug up Mari’s coffin, it was a beautiful brown coffin, having a golden frame and a cross on top. Inside lies millions of wilted egret orchids all perfectly preserved from complete decomposition. In the middle… Mari’s skeleton. Her body had fully decomposed leaving only the bones behind.

  
Hero stared at the casket for a while… was he really going to do this? Was this really the correct answer to his issues? He shrugged his doubt away, he didn’t spend 4 years in a damp dark forest for nothing. After drawing a large summoning circle around the coffin he cut open a finger to pour some of his blood onto Mari’s skull. He also asked Sunny if he had brought his broken violin, he had asked Sunny in the letter if he had any hair or blood of Mari left which luckily enough his violin was covered in. “Why didn’t you throw this away Sunny?” Hero asked, examining the broken down violin. “Memories?” Sunny responded. He wasn’t really sure on why he didn’t throw away the violin, guess he just really missed his sister.

A few candles were lit around the coffin as Hero tossed the violin onto Mari’s chest. If this didn’t work he might be found guilty for vandalism and probably would be sent off to jail. But it was all going to be worth it. After opening his Necronomicon, Hero began to chant a spell that Sunny couldn’t really hear too well. It was nighttime after all they didn’t want to wake up the entire neighborhood so Hero whispered it under his breath. Soon Mari’s skeletons began to rise, the violin floating inside of her ribcage. With that Hero slammed his book closed.

A flash of light emanated from the violin as it began to cover Mari’s corpse. Flesh began to form around the body, hair grew from the skull and her fingers began to grow back. Mari soon fell from the sky, Hero quickly caught her in a blanket which he used to wrap her in. “Good morning sweet princes,” he whispered as he held Mari in his arms. Sunny was shocked… what the hell did he just witness? Was this really his sister?

Hero took her back into Sunny’s apartment that night. Sunny didn’t really have a house back in faraway town so he had rented an apartment complex a few years back. It was scarcely furnished with only a single bed, a plant, and a closet. Hero laid Mari’s body on the bed. She was still unconscious since her spirit hadn't returned to her body yet. It was lucky that Mari’s body was around the same size as Sunny. They gave her a few of his clothes and sat there contemplating what to do next. She would need to be kept safe till morning when her soul could return. It was going to be a long night. Hero and Sunny brewed up some coffee to pass the time. They decided maybe now would be the best time to get back in touch.

  
“Hero… where did you learn.. that?” Sunny asked, still unsure if he was even awake right now.  
“Oh, a few witches over in the forest. They were surprisingly nice to me. Especially after I told them what had happened with Mari and you.” Hero responded taking a sip of his coffee.  
“Witches? They exist?”  
“Yeah, after I told them about Mari they began to cry for a bit, it was weird but after that they were down to teach me about necromancy.”  
“Is.. Is Mari back then?”  
“It’s hard to say. They told me that in order to fully revive a person I would need some sort of memento for them, it was lucky you kept your violin, there’s no bigger memento for her than that.”  
“Yeah…”

It was around 3 am when there was a knocking at the door. It was Kel. He had been looking for Hero after he noticed he wasn’t home that night.  
“Hey Sunny, is Hero there? I’m worried he went missing again.” Sunny knocked at the door.  
Hero quickly hid in the other room with Mari, signaling at Sunny to try and hide the fact he’s there.  
Sunny opened the door to see Kel. He looked as if he had just gotten out a bed. Probably the case.

  
“Hey Sunny… sorry for waking you up this late, is Hero here? I’m worried he’s doing something dangerous. Though I guess Hero is an adult now, just wished he left me a note or something before he left again.” Kel told Sunny who was standing there in absolute confusion why someone would knock at 3 in the morning.  
“I.. didn’t see him…” Sunny responded, rubbing his eye to act as if he had just woken up.  
“Oh… ok, sorry to wake you up this late. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow!”

Kel had left and Sunny was ready to take another power nap… oh wait his bed was occupied. He closed the door and checked on Hero and Mari. It was almost morning and he wanted to see if anything had changed. Sunny entered the room to see Hero crying at Mari’s bedside. “I’m so glad you’re back,” Hero sniffled as he stained Sunny’s newly cleaned sheets. “I… I missed you for so long,” he kept on crying as Sunny just stood there at the entrance way. He.. he really had made life miserable for everyone. Hero had really suffered with Mari’s loss… all because of Sunny.  
Hero realized Sunny standing at the doorway and quickly wiped away his tears. “Are you ready to finally speak to your sister?” He said as he brushed off any dust he had picked up from sitting on the floor.


	2. Here comes the sun

Sunny couldn't remember much from last night. It all felt like a dream to him, was his sister really back? Did Hero really just perform necromancy? Sunny laid on the couch he was sleeping on. His hair was a mess but his mind was a greater mess. Did... did Hero just break the rules of life and death? Perhaps this was all just a terrible dream. But if that was the case why was he sleeping on the couch. He decided it might be best to go back to sleep, his head was banging and he wasn't ready to deal with whatever was in his bedroom. He could hear faint sounds of conversation but at this point he was unsure what reality was. Sunny had always slept early. Sleeping allowed him to escape the darkness... the void.... his sister. So having to stay up past 10 was something Sunny was unprepared for. Last night buzzed in his mind like a swarm of bees. It was all fuzzy to him.

  
As he closed his eyes again he dreamed of Mari. She was comforting him after a tragic fall. His leg was all scraped and he was in pain. But Mari had comforted him, slowly brushing his hair as she told him that everything was alright. Her lap was warm and her hands were soft. Sunny had missed this sensation, he had missed his sister. "Mari..." he whispered in his sleep as a single tear had rolled down his cheek. He could feel the soft touch of his sister's hand as it gently soothed his wounds. No matter how rough the world maybe she was always there to protect him... or she had been until that day.

Panic filled his dream as the scene changed. He was standing at the top of a flight of stairs. At the bottom, Mari's limp body. "MARI!" He cried out as the black ooze began to consume her body. Please don't take her... he thought as he reached to grab her hand. But it was too late, the ooze had consumed Mari... she was no more. He began to cry. No not again, why does he keep losing his sister. He kept on crying and crying until he slowly began to wake up.

A gentle hand was stroking his hair as he could still feel the little bits of water from his eye roll down the side of his face. "Had a bad dream little brother?" A voice asked him. A soft and kind voice that reminded him of Mari…. wait no that was Mari’s voice. Another dream? This couldn’t be Mari right? He was still lying on the couch, it was hard and lump but it was the only couch he could afford. Even if this was a dream… even if this wasn’t reality… he wanted to enjoy it just a bit longer.

Mari smiled as Sunny closed his eyes again. He snuggled closer to her. They both have missed this moment, it’s been so long since she had been able to finally see each other again. The room was silent. In the other room a faint sound of sniffling could be heard. Hero was sleeping in the bed. It had been a busy night for him. In fact it was a busy night for everyone.

  
Sunny had just gone to sleep when the sun began to rise. It had been a rough night for him. They did just dig up Mari’s body and broke the concept of life and death. It felt surreal to him, in fact for Sunny it was all just a dream. Another one of his nightmares. Hero on the other hand. He was determined to save Mari. This couldn’t be a dream… he had been in the forest to survive rigorous training from a couple of witches. The pain he felt on his right arm was real… it was proof that he was still alive… and now… Mari was soon to be alive. The clock had just stuck 6 it was now or never.

Hero quickly grabbed his book as he sorted through spells and charms that could link the spirit back to the body. Mari’s spirit appeared behind him. “Hero?” she asked as something brought her to him. “Hey Mari, ready to come back?” Hero asked as he looked over to her. She had been watching him this entire time… in fact she had been watching everyone. The amount of times she wanted to hug them, to comfort them, to save them… it had kept her bound to the mortal plain.

She had kept her past memories and gained new ones while a float as a ghost. She had studied with Sunny throughout his high school experience and took jabs at understanding what Hero was learning. Oddly enough she had felt more alive than ever when she was dead. But the fact that she couldn’t be there for her brother… it haunted her. If it meant that she could hug her brother again, to tell him it was alright, she was willing to give up anything.

  
He had finally linked her spirit to the body. All they needed to do now was wait. The clock struck six and Mari’s soul was gone. Hero was worried, had he just doomed her? Was she okay? Did the ritual work? He sat in anticipation and dread as he held Mari’s hand. It was cold… he couldn’t feel a heartbeat. “No… Mari.” Hero whispered as he held her hand. Had he failed? Is all of his efforts a waste? Is Mari’s spirit safe? Then a bump. No two bumps… heartbeat. At first it was slow and steady, as if a car engine was just revving up. But soon it became fast, the heart was working it’s fastest to get all of the blood in the body to circulate. As the heartbeat began to stabilize Mari’s body began to rise. She slowly opened her eyes to see Hero holding her hand, tears covering his face.

  
She couldn’t believe it, he had actually brought her back to life. She looked at her hands… they were… solid for once. She quickly wrapped her other arm around Hero, she could finally touch him, she was finally… alive. They hugged for a good 5 minutes, it had been too long for them to make this interaction short. Hero shortly after collapsed. Whether it was exhaustion or his utter amazement that it worked who knows. Mari left a blanket on top of him. She would’ve carried him into bed but her body wasn’t fully recovered yet. As Mari began to stand her legs shook rapidly. It had been so long since she had been grounded, who knew being able to fly was such a useful ability. Leaning on the wall for support she made it to the door.

Before Hero, before Aubrey, before anyone she just wanted to see Sunny again. Spending weeks, months, years just watching as her dear brother cried in his room… as he struggled in his dream, as he fought with himself… it was all too painful. A loud bang rang across the apartment building as Mari slammed herself onto the door. Oh yeah… she was solid again. But this had given her proof that she was back. She felt pain, it was real pain. Not some emotional crap like she had felt constantly during her time as a spirit… no it was actual physical pain. She rubbed her nose as she opened the door, it still stung but it made her happy.

There were only two rooms in this apartment. The bedroom and the living room. There was a small area in the living room for cooking but Sunny was never really the type of person to cook… especially after the cold steak accident. A decently sized couch sat in the middle of the room. Sunny slept gently on the couch. A single teardrop rolling down his face as he shivered. Mari smiled as she sat next to him. He was still short as ever, their family never had the tallest genes. Sunny was still her brother, no matter how much she might’ve been away she wouldn’t want it any other way.

Sunny opened his eyes again. He had been asleep for god knows how long. Something was combing his hair… was it Hero? Why is he combing his hair? No… this wasn’t Hero… it felt familiar… Mari? Sunny looked up, a familiar face greeted him once more. “Hey little brother, finally awake?” She said as she looked down on him. Was he dreaming again? Had he gone insane once more? Sunny swore he dealt with Omori, that he dealt with the guilt he held onto for too long. Mari shouldn’t be able to haunt him… could she?  
“Mari…?” Sunny asked her. At this point he wasn’t too sure what she would respond with.  
“Hey little brother, good morning… or er… afternoon, you’ve been asleep for a while.” Mari responded, in fact the clock had just struck noon.  
“Why… why are you here? No… who are you?”  
“I’m your sister silly, and don’t you remember what happened last night? It was all weird I know but you shouldn’t be that surprised.”  
“You’re...you’re… dead? How… what?”  
“Come on Sunny,” Mari said as she gently touched his cheek. “I’m here right now aren’t I? Being brought back to life was a weird experience sure but it’s the truth.”

  
It took Sunny a second to process what was going on. He could feel his sister's warm hand on his cheek… it was real, but how was this even possible. No… no it didn’t matter whether it was possible or not… she was back right? She was here. Out of pure instinct or desperation Sunny hugged his sister. He had dreamt of this scenario for years, to be able to apologize to her, to never let go… not like last time. Mari couldn’t hold back her tears. She truly was alive… this was her actual brother… sleepless nights where she could comfort her brother… to hug him when all seemed dark…they were all gone.


	3. Moonlight Sonata

They spent the rest of the day talking. Hero hadn’t woken from his slumber but it didn’t seem he was in any danger. While Mari and Sunny sat on the couch watching TV enjoying every moment a knock suddenly came at the door. It was Kel, tears were flooding down his eyes as he grasped onto Sunny’s chest. “S...Sunny… Hero… Hero’s been missing for a day.” Kel cried as he could barely hold himself together. He looked as if he had run through the entire town. His breathing was rough, his legs shaking. Sunny wasn’t too sure what to do. He knew that Hero was safe but… but Mari is here. How would Kel react? Was it safe? Sunny was planning to wait till Hero woke up before telling all their friends. Sunny began to panic, he had to hide Mari… Kel couldn’t know yet. But suddenly Sunny felt a hand on his shoulder. Mari was standing right behind him. “Don’t worry Sunny, I’ll handle this.” Mari whispered to Sunny as he handed Kel over to her

.  
“Hey Kel, don’t worry Hero’s okay. You’re a great brother you know, you must really love Hero.” Mari whispered to him as she did her best to comfort him.  
“M...Mari? He’s okay?” Kel responded, his eyes were still soaked from the tears and sweat that ran across his face.  
“Yeah, he’s actually just sleeping in the other room right now. It was a rough night for him. Do you wanna see him? Don’t worry he’s safe.”  
“..yeah…I wanna see Hero.”

They both entered the bedroom Hero was in. Sunny decided he might want to sit this one out since he had just lied to Kel last night, he felt a little guilty for that. After a few seconds Kel came out the same bright kid they all knew and loved. He looked over at Mari and Sunny then it clicked in him. “WAIT A SECOND! MARI? WHAT?” He shouted as he looked in amazement at Mari’s presence. He looked over at Sunny to see if he had any sort of reactions to this. Sunny promptly shrugged, she was back what more could he say.

“You’re…. you’re actually Mari right? Not some sort of evil clone or doppelgänger.” Kel asked, he had been watching a lot of horror movies recently so he was very skeptical.  
“Nope, it’s me in the flesh. Long time no see Kel.” Mari chuckled as she hugged Kel.  
“...prove it to me. Tell me something only the real Mari might know.”  
“Well, if I remember correctly Hero told me that when you were seven you had an irrational fear of….”  
“Wait never mind I believe you, please just don’t tell Sunny about this.”  
“Awww alright, sorry Sunny guess you can’t learn about this secret yet..”

Darn, Sunny was hoping he could know what Kel was afraid of. He still had to get Kel back for all the pranks he pulled on him over the years. But Mari hinted to him that she’ll tell him later, it’s something he might’ve known already. Kel looked over to Sunny, what had he done? Why was Mari back and more importantly how had Hero not woken up yet. There was something he was missing, a piece of the puzzle that was gone. In one of the movies he watched he heard that in order to bring someone back from the dead there would need to be a sacrifice. Wait, Hero was still breathing right? Kel quickly ran back to where Hero was sleeping, his breathing was stable and his heart rate was still there. Oh thank god he wasn’t the sacrifice. But then… what was? Maybe that logic only applied to movies but deep down something felt wrong for Kel.

  
“Did you guys tell Aubrey or Basil about this?” Kel asked, was he going to have to keep this major secret from them? Wouldn’t they be excited to hear about it?  
“No not yet, or I don’t think so right Sunny?” Mari responded looking towards Sunny who simply nodded, they were the only ones who knew about this.  
“Well what are we waiting for? Let’s go tell them the good news!”  
“Wait no, we’re waiting for Hero to wake up, since we’re still unsure of the limits of the whole necromancy situation… we didn’t want to take any risks.”  
“Oh, ok so Hero just has to wake up right?”

  
Kel quickly headed to the bathroom and got himself a bucket of water. Sunny realized what he was about to do and stopped him, he didn’t want his bed to be soaked. Kel decided he’ll just have to do it the old fashion way. He got on top of Hero and began to shake Hero violently. That’s how he used to wake his brother up when he would oversleep. “H...huh… K...E….L…?” Hero shouted as he started to feel sick from all the shaking.

“Good morning Hero, are you ready to tell everyone about Mari?” Kel asked him, a little relieved to see that Hero was still alive. Hero’s eyes widened… Mari? Did it work? He quickly headed over to the next room where he saw Mari sitting on the couch. “Good morning Hero… it’s been a while hasn’t it?” Mari asked, but before she could react Hero hugged her. They’ve missed this moment, it was only recently that Hero had learned that Mari’s spirit still lingered and more recently that Mari gained another mortal body. They’ve waited so long for this… they deserved it.

Sunny and Kel looked on from a distance. They’ve always loved seeing their older sibling happy but it always felt a little awkward. “So Sunny, how does it feel having Mari back?” Kel asked, he was a little curious on how it felt to see the person you killed come back to life, was it terrifying? Relieving? Well at least he knew that Sunny had missed her dearly. “It’s… weird, I thought I lost Mari forever. That no matter how much I forgave myself the guilt of killing her would come back. I would have moments where I missed her presence and begged for her to come back. But now that she’s back I feel… empty.” Sunny responded. He was happy for sure… but he was unsure, could he be genuinely happy? Could he forget the fact that he killed Mari? Was she even the same Mari? Something just clung to him. He looked over two the two who were still hugging, he could see tears in Mari’s eyes as she embraced Hero… that had to be her, right?

  
Hero wiped away his tears as he stood up with his book. “Alright guys, the rule of necromancy is simple. Mari’s pretty much back in her mortal body but she can’t do three things. One, She can’t enter churches or any religious areas since we’re using some unconventional methods. Two, She can’t be found by her parents since they believe she’s dead and… well who knows what they might do. Finally three, Mari can’t be let out during a full moon, moonlight is a hard reset for any spells casted so if Mari touches moonlight during a full moon… let’s just say we’ll need to find another violin with some blood and hair.” Hero said to the rest of the group. Who knew how complicated black magic was with all these rules.

That was it, the three golden rules. Mari was a little shocked that she couldn’t see a full moon or her parents anymore but it was a trade off she was willing to take. In fact Sunny’s parents had gone missing a few years back. Luckily they left enough cash for Sunny to live comfortably to finish highschool but now… that money was running thin. Sunny had actually decided to permanently live in the apartment, the rent was cheaper and he was closer to his friends… it was the best condition he could ask for.

  
Mari looked a little impatient, she wanted to see Aubrey and Basil. She did her best to keep them happy while she was a spirit but there was only so much a distant voice could do. Now, she could hug them, tell them that she was finally back and how much she missed them. Maybe now was the best time to dye her hair purple like she promised Aubrey… though that might have to wait a bit longer. “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go see the other two!” Mari told the boys in the room, she had so much to talk about to everyone, they needed to have another reunion.


	4. Chapter 3.5 Hero Explains Necromancy

"Ok guys I think I need to explain how Necromancy works before we can see everyone else, it's actually not that complicated," Hero exclaimed as he pulled up a piece of paper. 

"So to put it simply Necromancy is like cloning in sci-fi movies. We bring back a perfect replica of Mari using blood and any form of DNA. Luckily the violin had everything we needed to understand how Mari's body was composed. Her hair was used to construct most of the external structure. Her skin, hair, and nails and such. Her blood helped construct the other areas like organs and brains and stuff, it's just we had to use black magic to make them. That's where my blood comes in. It's like signing a signature for a check. I use my blood to confirm that I wish to reconstruct Mari's body. Her memories and movement though can't be replicated without a soul. The soul pretty much holds all the information that the previous owner had. Their memory, emotions, and even attitude. Though I didn't know that spirits could move around like that. So pretty much that's how necromancy works, the other half of the things in this book talks more about how to strengthen the body or add weird improvements like....extra limbs and other weird things. So any questions?" Hero asked as the rest of the group who sat in astonishment, who knew there was an actual explanation on how this worked. 

"Hero is this safe? Like I feel there's a consequence for using black magic," Kel asked. He was certain something was going to happen, like Mari turns into a zombie or some spooky ghost stuff.

"Usually it takes another persons soul but luckily the witches provided me with a dummy soul. The demons or whatever's down there think that this is an actual soul and take it. By the time they figured it out they'll probably have forgotten who even performed the ritual."

"That's rad, can I have a dummy soul too so I could sell it to the demons for money and stuff?"

"No Kel that's really dangerous, money is something that goes through a much more complicated process.... also it's not tax exemptible so most of it's gonna be take by the government."

Mari sat there, a little uncomfortable. Was she even the real Mari? This fear that she was just some sort of robot with the memory of her past host scared her. Hero seemed to notice, "Don't worry Mari, your spirit is what you truly are. We just gave you a new body so you could come back. You're still the Mari we all love." 

"Thanks Hero... I'm glad that's the case."


	5. A little bit of Sunburn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alright trust me when I say this is a lot better than the previous chapter.

Pink, that’s all that stood between the boss and his new territory. “Remember me? Yeah you do, this is a perfect little place for me to set up my home base, why’d you hide it from me pink?” Boss asked as he stared down Aubrey. The rest of the hooligans were out, knocked out cold. Aubrey was pretty worn out herself, she barely stood in front of Boss, he was tough, too tough. “Well pink, you look pretty worn out. I wonder how many more of my punches you could take!” Boss stated as he prepared to swing at Aubrey, she braced herself for the impact. Her arms gave out, she felt herself flying through the air the impact had broken her.

Aubrey lied on the floor, she barely could stand at this point. Boss slowly approached her, cracking her knuckles, he wasn’t done with her yet. “AUBREY!” Kim shouted as she lied on the floor. Boss turned around, seems he missed a few flies. He approached Kim who tried to take a fighting stance but her legs had given up on her. Boss kicked Kim to the side, the impact forcing Kim to cough up a few drops of blood. “KIM! BOSS YOU BASTARD I’LL KILL YOU!” Aubrey screamed as she lied helplessly when her best friend needed her. “Look at you, the once mighty leader of the hooligans now tethered and defeated, pathetic.” Boss was ready to finish the job, this town was his and he wasn’t going to have some hooligans running his new base of operation.

Just then a basketball flew towards Boss smacking him in the head. “WHICH ONE OF YOU BASTARDS JUST HIT ME!?” Boss screamed as he turned around, there stood Kel who had heard the commotion running as fast as possible to see what the issue was. Soon enough Sunny, Mari, and Hero followed behind him. “Leave them be Boss,” Kel told Boss. He looked around seeing each of the hooligans lying on the floor, he was furious that someone would hurt his friends. “Heh, you were never the strongest in fights, what can you possibly do.” Boss chuckled as he looked at Kel.

Even though Kel was tall Boss still towered over him. Sunny prepared to pull out a knife, it worked last time didn’t it? “Sunny put that back, we’re not here to hurt anyone.” Hero gently told him. Sunny sighed and put the knife back into his pocket, he never seems to get a chance to use it. Kel and Hero stood ready to fight Boss, they might have a chance to beat him but the possibilities were slim. Hero hadn’t worked out in a while and Kel… well Kel was never the strongest in the group. They fought bravely, they even pushed Boss to the edge, but it wasn’t enough. With a single swing they were knocked out. Sunny pulled out his knife, he was prepared to defend his sister if it was the last thing he did. But Mari stopped him.

“Come on little brother… let your sis handle this one.” She said, her tone was a little off… not her usual cheery self. Sunny would’ve protested but… to be honest he was a little scared of Mari when she got angry. “Oh look at this tiny thing, what are you going to do.” Boss chuckled as Mari approached him. He was laughing when suddenly he felt his feet being swept. Mari quickly knocked him onto the floor. He was shocked but before he could react Mari kicked him in the neck knocking him out. It all happened in a blink of a second.

Mari was always strong in fights but… this was absurd. Sunny made a vow that day, never to make his sister mad… he might not survive to tell the tale. Mari quickly ran over to Hero and Kel, the wound was luckily not too heavy but they were still breathing. Sunny realized that Aubrey was hurt running over to her. She was knocked out cold, cuts and bruises covered her body. Sunny picked her up, a traditional princess hold. He had grown stronger… but not strong enough to protect her. The rest of the hooligans slowly picked themselves up. A few were knocked out cold so they had to carry each other. Vance rushed over to Kim… she was out cold but luckily nothing too terrible  
.  
They all survived… though barley. Everyone went home, Mari carried Kel and Hero while Sunny carried Aubrey. They left Kel and Hero at their home and decided it might be safer to take Aubrey back to the apartment. She was heavily bruised, Mari looked devastated. Grabbing a wet towel she wiped away much of the blood and dirt as possible. She was a mess. “Sunny, can you fill the tub with water, I want to examine her wounds.” Mari asked, she had always been worried for Aubrey her family life wasn’t getting any better and she seemed to be losing herself slowly but surely.

Luckily Sunny and Kim were there for her. Kim was surprisingly a great friend for Aubrey. She would invite her over for dinner when Aubrey’s mother wasn’t home. They would have sleepovers, and overall Kim supported her every step of the way. Sunny too was a great boyfriend. Though living in a different town made it difficult for him to be there for her he did his best to spend every second with her when he was in town. Those weeks were the best for Aubrey. They would hang out at the movies, at the beach, and sometimes Kel would invite them over for dinner. But once she returned home it became grim. Her mother had a new abusive boyfriend, in fact she had locked Aubrey in the attic a couple of times to prevent her from leaving. It was a nightmare for her… in fact she’d slept outside in the cold a couple of times. It was better than whatever hell she had to call home.

It was actually this week when Sunny was prepared to ask her to live with him. The apartment was too large for just one person to live in. Besides there was little to no furniture he needed help. Sunny realized that he had left the water in the tub, luckily those things take like hours to actually fill up so only 3/4ths of the tub was filled. Mari dragged Aubrey into the bathtub and locked the door. Sunny decided maybe this is the best time to wash his bed covering from yesterday. He entered the bedroom and began to take off the sheets when he noticed a small piece of black goo… strange.

Mari sat next to the tub as she gently put Aubrey's body into the water. Scratches and bruises covered her body. Just as she suspected, there was a large scar on her back. She remembers seeing it happen, Aubrey’s mother was drunk that night and Aubrey returned quite late. All it took was a small creak on the floor board and a broken beer bottle. She could still hear Aubrey crying in her room as blood oozed behind her. Mari was powerless to stop her mother, to save Aubrey, or even to comfort her. “I’m sorry Aubrey,” she whispered as she touched the scar. It was deep. Aubrey began to moan as she slowly woke up. Her body was in pain and she was sitting in a bathtub. She looked over to her side and saw Mari. “Huh, guess I finally died too.” Aubrey whispered as she looked at Mari.

  
“No silly you’re alive and well, we’re in Sunny’s apartment right now.” Mari responded a little teary eyed to see that Aubrey was okay.  
“Then who are you? I don’t take kindly to those dressing up as my friends… especially her.”  
“Nice try Aubrey but I’m the real deal. It’s a long and complicated story but in short I’m back!”  
“I don’t buy it, what do you mean you’re back. Where are my clothes? WHERE’S SUNNY.”  
“Aubrey… how’s it been,” Mari rested one of her hands on Aubrey’s shoulder “I’m sorry I couldn’t be there for you when you needed me.”  
“Please… please stop trying to act like her. She’s dead… we all saw it… she’s gone.”  
“I’m glad you kept our promise of dying our hair… maybe now that I’m back I might have to dye mine purple like I promised.”  
“Stop...you’re not her.”  
“Aubrey… remember when you got left behind at the school field trip. Do you remember what I told you when I came back for you?”  
“...that you’d always come back for me… no matter how far I was…”  
“I’d always come back for you… no matter how far you were…. And now I’m back.”  
“I… I still don’t believe you…but can we take this conversation somewhere else… the water’s getting cold.”  
“Oh no, here dry yourself up, I’ll wait for you outside. Here’s your change of clothes… we still gotta wash the one you were wearing.”  
“Is this Sunny’s shirt?”  
“It’s all we have…”

With that Mari left the room, she saw Sunny sitting on the couch, the washing machine was on and he seemed to be folding some clothes. Mari let Sunny know that Aubrey was okay. She was a little on edge on seeing her again. They had so much to talk about, but more importantly she had to tell her it was all okay. Aubrey came out from the restroom, the clothes were surprisingly a good fit for her.

“Hey Sunny… and… Mari.” Aubrey nervously said as she was still on edge on whether she could trust him. Sunny ran up and hugged Aubrey, he was worried sick. This was the first time he saw Aubrey knocked out cold let alone so bruised. “Don’t worry you little rascal, I’m safe.” Aubrey said, trying to hide her blushing. So are you gonna tell me why Mari… or what I think is Mari doing here? Sunny sighed as he pulled out Hero’s explanation on necromancy. “You’re telling me… he you used NECROMANCY? That’s real? What.” Aubrey shouted as the news caught her off guard.

  
“Hero...Hero used necromancy.” Sunny responded, he was just there, it was mostly Hero who did the black magic.  
Aubrey read the rest of the explanation, surprised at how well and stable necromancy really is. But she still felt a little suspicious. Was this really the same Mari.. that had died? Well she certainly looked similar and… acted like Mari. Sunny seemed to be content with this being Mari… maybe she was back. Sunny looked up at Aubrey, she was still bruised but was as beautiful as ever, he had to ask the burning question he had in his heart… would… would she say yes? “A...Aubrey, I have a question to ask you.” Sunny whispered to her, still holding onto her with a hug. “Yeah Sunny what's up?” Aubrey responded, he didn’t usually hesitate to ask her a question so she was a little surprised.  
“Do.. do you want to live with me.. Here?”“...you want me to live with you? Like forever?”  
“Well… as long as you want… but I would love it if you lived with me forever.”  
Aubrey began to blush, her ears turned red as she could look Sunny in the eye. Was he… asking her to marry him? Was this a proposal? This was too soon… was it? No wait she needed a moment to think. Before Sunny could react she left the room saying she needed some time to think. “M...Mari did I do something wrong?” Sunny asked Mari, he didn’t realize what he had just said, he just wanted to live with Aubrey. “No little brother… I think you did the right thing.” Mari responded desperately trying to hide her laugh.


	6. Pesto

The day began to change as Hero lied in his bed, his body covered in bruises and cuts. He looked over to his side and saw Kel sleeping in his own bed. He was pretty beaten up too. Why did they even try fighting? Hopefully everyone’s okay. 

As he got out his bed the pain in his body began to grow, the cuts still felt fresh and the bruises became worse. That was strange, usually bruises and cuts shouldn’t last longer than a day. Must’ve been a pretty bad cut, nothing too worrying. 

He woke Kel up and they decided to check on the rest of the gang. Hopefully they’re not too hurt. It took a while for Hero to reach Sunny’s apartment, the pain still lingered in his leg as he relied on his brother for support. He might need to get this checked out later. 

As they approached the apartment building they saw Aubrey run past them. She looked a little flustered and didn’t notice Kel nor Hero. They looked on as she turned the corner towards the church, did… did something bad happen? 

They made their way towards Sunny’s apartment when they saw Sunny looking off into the distance. He looked concerned, as if he had just done something regretful. “Hey Sunny, what’s wrong? Did… did something happen?” Kel asked as they approached Sunny. 

They could see tears forming in his eyes as he stared off into the distance. “Woah Sunny what’s wrong, come on you know you can tell us anything.” Hero chimed in as they tried to comfort Sunny. He looked scared, scared of losing another person he loved. “I… I think Aubrey’s angry at me…” he said as he began to sniffle. 

Mari walked out of the apartment and saw what was happening. Hero looked over to her signaling asking what had happened. Mari couldn’t contain her laughter. How innocent her brother was, how caring her friends were, and how ridiculous this whole situation was.

Hero and Kel looked at her in utter confusion, what was she laughing about? “Don’t worry guys, Sunny’s alright. He’s just a little worried about Aubrey.” She said while chuckling. Kel and Hero didn’t really know what to think so they shrugged, told Sunny they'd be inside if he needed anything, and found themselves sitting on Sunny’s couch. 

They had to plan how they were going to meet with Basil. Even after they became friends once more Basil seemed to still be struggling with the guilt of murdering Mari. Polly would tell them about his night terrors and sudden panic attacks. 

The doctors told him that this was caused due to large amounts of pent up stress but weren’t really sure how to cure it. Basil was fine on the surface. He was no longer scared of telling his friends the truth and the demon that had haunted him had vanished. 

But there was something that still lingered inside of him, something deeper and much darker. Even he didn’t understand what it was. 

“Do you think… is it safe for him to meet me?” Mari asked, she was sure Basil might collapse at the sight of her, she still remembers seeing him struggle with his demons. Night after night he would cry in his bed as she could see the fear in his eyes expand. 

“We’re not too sure… Kel said that Basil’s been a lot more active and talkative but small things seem to trigger his fainting. Most likely situation is that he’ll faint once he sees you so it might be best if we start slowly.” Hero said as he looked over the spells in the necronomicon. Perhaps there was a spell for this exact situation… though unlikely. 

“I feel like Sunny might be the best to tell him about it, after all they are partners in crime aren’t they?” Kel said with a smile. Finally he could talk about that event in a lighter manner now that Mari was back. 

“No… Sunny wouldn’t be able to explain it well. We would need someone more assertive, someone who knew Basil for the longest… Aubrey!” Hero shouted as Aubrey and Sunny walked into the room. Now they thought about it this was the first time all five of them were together. Though with Basil missing it did still feel a little empty. 

“What’s up, heard my name being called. Do you guys need anything?” Aubrey asked as she sat down on the couch. Her wounds seemed to have healed quickly, luckily most of it were light scratches and bruises. 

“It’s Basil… we’re scared he wouldn’t be able to accept Mari’s back, do you have any plans on how we can convince him?” Kel asked. The room fell into silence again as they began plotting.

“Can’t we just… show him Mari? It worked for most of us right? Why not Basil.” Aubrey asked. It was true, this should hypothetically work. Though it would also put Basil at risk, a sudden jog to his trauma/memory wouldn’t be good for him.

“...Hey I have an idea…” Sunny said out of the blue. It was a simple plan… yet so ingenious. That was it, that’s how they’ll have Basil and Mari meet again. Then… then they could be happy together again.

  
  


Basil was sitting at the park, Kel had invited him over to help him on some homework. He was a little suspicious since Hero was back in town and Kel had never really asked him for help. But he would never turn down a friends cry for help

As Basil sat diligently he felt a light breeze. It was getting a little chilly but he couldn’t go back home for a jacket, he had already gotten here. 

Just then Kel appeared in the distance. He didn’t seem to be carrying any books… nor paper. In fact he had a basketball, perhaps they’re not going to study? 

“Hey Basil, I’m glad you actually came. Sorry for keep you waiting just had to prepare for something.” Kel said as he approached the bench. 

“No worries Kel, also didn’t you invite me to study? Where’s your.. Books?” Basil questioned as he looked at Kel. 

“Oh shoot! You’re right I forgot it at home… actually wait do you want to come to my place to study? Kel asked. “It’s getting a little chilly and you don’t seem to have a jacket so it might be better at our house, besides my parents aren’t home so it’ll be fine.”

Basil wasn’t really sure if he wanted to go to Kel’s house. He had never actually visited his house after Mari… Mari… oh… But Kel was asking him for something, he could refuse… especially after what he did. 

The walk to his house was surprisingly short. They passed the time by talking about how it’s been. Since school ended they haven’t really had a chance to meet up again. Basil had decided to carry on the flower shop his grandma had owned. 

Kel on the other hand decided to go to college since that’s what Hero wanted. He always respected his brothers' decisions and he wasn’t really against going to college especially after getting a scholarship to one of the most athletically advanced college’s on the coast. Though he was a little nervous about leaving his friends… but he can always come back. 

“Well we’re here, come on in Basil.” Kel invited Basil into his home. It was quiet, though the lights were on there wasn’t much life in the house. They headed up stairs towards Kel’s room where he had left his notebook. 

They sat on Kel’s bed and decided it might be better to chat for a little while before starting their studies. “Hey Basil…. I know this is gonna be a little bit of a hard subject to discuss but… Mari… are you still scared of her?” Kel asked, he was careful with his tone and wording… he couldn’t have Basil go into a panic yet.

“...M...I’m a little scared if I’m being honest. Not about her of course, Sunny and I got over that fear. But the fact that I would.. I would hang her. I wish that I could apologize to her, how we didn’t even try to save her. That if I was more brave we would’ve still had her with us.” Basil said as he contemplated his choices. 

If he had just stepped in between them, to realize that this wasn’t going to end well… then maybe maybe they could’ve been happy. 

“Do you… still miss her?” Kel asked, of course he did but he just needed that extra from Basil. Something that told him that maybe he was strong enough to finally see her again.

“Of course… but if I could even see her again… I wouldn’t. How could I apologize to her? After all I did I wouldn’t be able to show my face around her, as if that would ever happen.” Basil responded. He was scared at how Mari would react, at how it was all his fault. Sunny wasn’t wrong no he was, he just wasn’t a good friend. “I’m a failure Kel, a failure of a friend. I stabbed Sunny in the eye, I failed to keep our precious photos safe, and I even… you know.” 

“B..Basil I..” Kel wasn’t sure what to tell him. Is this why he was sad still? Did he really think he was a bad friend? Basil… wasn’t perfect but none of them ever thought he was a bad friend. Even Aubrey admitted that she still loved Basil as a friend even during the roughest of times. 

“I’m worthless Kel, a scum of the earth. Sometimes I wish I could just shrivel up and die. I could only cause harm… why am I even alive?” Basil shouted as the room became still. Kel was shocked, was… was this it? Was this the thing that had been tormenting Basil for all this time? But what now, what was he supposed to do he was speechless.

Just then the door slammed open and Mari stood there. The rest of the gang showed up behind her, they were hiding in Kel and Hero’s parents' room waiting for the perfect moment but Mari just stormed off after she heard what Basil had said. 

“M...M..Mari?” Basil was shocked, was he dreaming? Was this a sick joke? A punishment. Mari walked up to Basil, anger in her eyes. She raised her hand and slapped Basil. Tears were running down her eyes as a loud slap ringed across the room. 

“BASIL, DON’T YOU DARE WISH TO END YOUR LIFE. YOU AREN’T WORTHLESS AND YOU AREN’T A TERRIBLE FRIEND.” Mari shouted and the room became more tense. Kel had retreated towards the rest of the group as Basil still sat there stunned by the fact that.. Mari had slapped him.

“I’ve seen death Basil, I also saw what you did after my death. Yet I was never angry at you, ever.” Mari whispered as she sat next to Basil. The rest of the gang weren’t really sure what to do. They just sort of stood at the doorway watching everything unfold. 

“M..Mari I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I… I’m so sorry.” Basil began to cry as he sat there. He would’ve loved to hug her but… he was a little scared she might slap him again.

They sat in silence as Mari looked at the rest of the gang. The concern of their faces, the worry for both Mari and Basil, she was glad that they were her friends… who could ask for a better family.

Basil kept crying and Mari was a little worried she slapped him too hard. How could she tell him it was all okay, that she forgave him… to reach him. She reached out her hands and wrapped them around Basil, gently holding him as she could feel his heart rate settle slowly but surely.

She had worried for Basil after Sunny had told the news. She could see that he was doing better but… there was just something off about him, something he was still carrying… but now that was gone.

Mari looked over to the rest of the gang, she motioned to them to join them, they were going to have a group hug… like they used to. Everyone piled up as more arms found themselves wrapping around Mari and Basil. Soon enough they were a bundle of happiness once more, something they dreamed of for a long time. 

After a while Basil returned to being his cheery self. In fact he didn’t really question the fact Mari was back which caught a lot of the group off guard. 

“Basil… aren’t you surprised that Mari is back?” Hero asked as he looked at Basil now with a big smile and joy in his eyes. 

“You used necromancy right? My grandma used to tell me all about it but… I wasn’t willing to risk messing with Mari’s body… I’m glad you went through with it Hero.” Basil smiled as he hugged all of his friends again. Finally a proper group hug. If only this moment could last forever.

  
  
  
  
  



	7. Sleeping Bags And Scars

Later that evening Sunny found himself alone in the apartment room. After their group hug which had gone on for much longer than Sunny had anticipated the gang had decided maybe they should have a party/sleepover later that night, it had been a while since they all saw each other.

Basil had returned back home to speak to Polly about staying over at Sunny’s place. Kel, Hero, and Mari had gone out to grab some dinner. They had ordered some pizza and sandwiches ahead of time so hopefully they’ll be back soon. Aubrey…. well, Aubrey left after everyone had made plans for the sleepover . She stated that she had to go grab a few things before the sleepover.

Sunny was a little concerned. He saw something in Aubrey's eyes… fear. Something he was all too familiar with. Everyone else assured him she was fine but… Sunny couldn’t help but worry. He had heard from Mari about her incident. How her mother had abused and beaten her, how she had been scarred by a broken beer bottle by her mother, and most importantly how she spent countless nights crying… alone in her room as Mari was powerless to help.

But most importantly Sunny feared her response. When he had asked her to live with him… forever. She hadn’t responded yet. Anytime Sunny tried to bring it up during their conversation she would often try to change the topic or worse… ignore his comment. Was… was she furious at him? He…. he had to go look for her, she… she wasn’t safe. 

Sunny rushed to the door, his hand outstretched for the door knob when suddenly the door swung open. Aubrey stood there, much of her face was covered by stacks of pillows and a sleeping bag. Sunny stood there for a second, his emotions in a jumbled ball of mess as he tried to figure out what he was looking at. 

“Hey Sunny could you… move out of the way?” Aubrey asked as she stood awkwardly at the doorway. Sunny realizing his mistake quickly moved away. He looked over at Aubrey who was heading towards the bedroom when he noticed a few stains of blood on her shoulder. That… that wasn’t there before.

Sunny pursued Aubrey into the room where he saw her throw down the pillows and sleeping bag into a tiny little pile in the corner. Much of the pillows looked brand new and the sleeping bag seemed to have never been used before. Though there was one particular pillow in the pile. It lied on the top so it wouldn’t dirty up the rest of them. 

It lied there, as if to taunt Sunny of his failure. It was soaked in a wine red color, a few bits of it seemed to have been cried into a couple of times. Why… Why did Aubrey bring this. He looked up at Aubrey in confusion and worry when he noticed… her face was bruised with cuts as tears did their best to wipe away the blood. Aubrey tried to form a fake smile but the tears wouldn’t stop.

Sunny rushed to her, looking up at her his eyes began to fill with tears. He realized the blood was still dripping, slowly but surely puddling up onto the pillow. He had no time to spare, he rushed into the restroom and grabbed a few towels. Leaving the faucet on he soaked one of the towels in warm water. Panic filled his mind as he watched the water slowly build up in the sink.

Rushing back with towel in hand Sunny saw Aubrey sitting on the bed, her gazed fixed into the never ending void in the corner. Sunny rushed over to her, his heart pounding as he quickly brought the soaked towel to her face. Aubrey didn’t hesitate, she smiled as Sunny gently patted the soft fabric against her skin. Everytime Sunny went over a little gash or scar Aubrey would flinch, each time filling Sunny’s heart with more worry and sadness. 

He had finished wiping all the blood and debris from Aubrey’s face, while she was still bruised and scarred she was looking a lot better. Sunny sat next to her as he gently laid his hand on top of her. She had switched her gaze from the corner of the room to Sunny, his face still filled with concern and worry for her. To think that someone cared this much for her, that Sunny had been this worried for her over a few scratches and bruises. Aubrey couldn’t help but smile.

“Sunny… I told my mom about your offer. Of course I didn’t tell her your name, I couldn’t bear to think what she might do if I had.” Aubrey spoke as she looked down at Sunny’s hand. It was small yet firm. She couldn’t stop herself from putting her hand over his. 

“She… didn’t seem to mind at first. She shrugged and went back to drinking. I… I thought that was a sign of approval, of her lack of care for me. But when I began to leave the house with my belongings… she… she lashed out.” Aubrey began to smirk as she rubbed the back of her head, it still stung… though the wound seemed to have healed fully. “I felt a sharp pain on the back of my head. She had thrown her bottle at me. I knew I had to leave then but… I was scared…” Aubrey began to cry, she was supposed to be used to this, it was a daily occurrence but… she was still her mom, she couldn’t help but look at her like how she did when… when dad was still home.

“I tried to fight, I… I just couldn’t hit her. She… she punched at me and teared at my skin. I got out just before she picked up a shattered beer bottle… but I left a few of my stuff back home.” Aubrey sat there… what was she going to do now? Luckily most of her stuff was over at Kim’s place where she realized she had spent more time at. But there was still one thing she needed to get… it was her bat. It was gifted to her by Mari during the christmas party. Though she never played baseball she always had wanted a bat. It was something to keep her safe, to protect her when… when no one else would. 

Sunny was shocked, had… had Aubrey agreed to live with him? Was he hearing that right? But as much as he wanted her to confirm that she would agree to live with him, that he could keep her safe forever, he had to make sure she was okay first. Sunny gently placed his hand on her face, checking to make sure she was… fine. Anger filled him as he noticed how deep some of the scars were, the fact that someone would hurt her. 

Aubrey leaned her head towards the hand, embracing it as Sunny gently stroked Aubrey’s cheek. To think they could embrace moments like these everyday… it filled both of them with joy. But the bat… the bat was still important for Aubrey. They had to go back… or at least she was determined to return alone. 

“Sunny… could… could you come with me to get my bat back. I… I promise you I won’t let them hurt you. I’m just scared to go alone.” Aubrey begged, the bat had too many memories to just give up, it meant more than just Mari, then just having all her friends back. 

Everyone came back later that night. They noticed Aubrey’s bruises and were righteously concerned but Aubrey had assured them that she had it under control. She also broke the news that she decided she’ll live here with Sunny and Mari. Sunny wanted to shout in joy but Mari had stopped him stating that they might get kicked out for noise complaints.

Poly had allowed Basil to stay over and Mari, Hero, and Kel came back with a huge platter of sandwiches and two whole pizzas. They stayed up all night playing with cards and just chatting. Just like… the old times.


	8. We All Need Someone To Lean On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a little wholesome (trust me the plot will pick up soon)

Sunny woke late at night. Perhaps it was all the partying and chatting, he felt his throat dry and decided to go grab a cup of water. He quietly lowered himself from the bed as he looked around the room. There were more people than things. Basil, Kel, and Aubrey all slept on the floor as they suggested Sunny should sleep on the bed. After all, it was technically his apartment. Though he did feel a little bad seeing his friends sleep on the floor while he slept in the bed. 

They all looked peaceful as though all care in the world had vanished. For once he saw Basil sleeping with a smile. No screaming, panting, and most importantly crying. Seems the night terrors had stopped. Sunny couldn’t help but smile, everyone was happy… maybe he can finally learn to be happy himself. 

As he stepped out into the living room he saw Hero. He and Mari were the last to sleep. Sunny recalled having to drag Basil into his sleeping bags as Mari carried Aubrey and Hero carried Kel. When did Basil get so heavy anyways? Just then he noticed that Mari was missing. Only Hero slept on the floor. That… was strange, perhaps she’s awake too?

Sunny grabbed his cup of water when he noticed that the front door was open… had Mari gone outside even with Hero’s warning not to? His mind panicked a little as he grabbed his cup spilling a few drops onto the floor as he opened the door. There stood Mari, by the railing staring out into the sky. Luckily it was a particularly cloudy night so the moonlight had failed to reach her. “Sis… what are you doing, you know it’s dangerous,” Sunny said as he tried to catch his breath. He stared longingly at his sister as he was concerned at what she was doing. 

“Hey Sunny… don’t worry… the forecast said there would be no moonlight tonight.” Mari sighed as she stared deeply into the grayed out sky. “Be honest with me brother… did you miss me?”   
Sunny wasn’t too sure where this question came from, had… had he acted in a way to show otherwise? Of course he missed his dear sister…those nights he spent alone in his room… they were enough proof of this weren't they? 

Then it hit him, was… was she trying to kill herself? What had happened after he went to bed? Had Hero… told her something? Sunny wasn’t too sure, he stood there in confusion. Carefully… he had to choose his words carefully, could he just tell her the truth? But would she believe them, no he had to stop her first before he could tell her anything. How… how was he going to do that though? 

Worry and fear grasped him once more. Was he really going to lose his sister again? No… no please no. He couldn’t help her, he failed her twice already. With nothing left Sunny hugged her, tightly not letting her go nor move an inch. “P..please come back inside,” he begged her as he had always done when he noticed something off with her sister. They always knew each other, how they felt, what they lacked, and most importantly when they needed a hug.

Mari looked down, her eyes filled with the sight of her brother clinging onto her as he begged her to come back inside. He was scared… worried… for her. It was enough proof for her, he really did miss her. Mari sighed as she took one last look into the sky, perhaps it wasn’t all bad.

They walked in together, their hands gripping each other as if they feared once they let go they’ll lose each other again. Hero was still asleep on the floor, but the couch was now wide open. Sunny needed to know what was wrong, what had prompted his sister to act the way she did. Perhaps it was time they had a little chat.

Mari always strayed away from telling her brother her issues. She was supposed to be the older sister, the one who knew what to do. But on some occasions, when she was having a particularly rough day, when the world seemed to turn against her she would always find Sunny willing to listen to her problems. He may not have the best of advice but the fact he cared was all Mari needed to know.

They sat together, huddling up in one blanket as they used to before. Though perhaps they should’ve grabbed another since they found that Sunny had grown quite a bit since Mari left. Sunny laid his head onto his sister's shoulder, it was his way of telling her he was ready to listen. She smiled as she felt the weight of her brother on her shoulder.

Mari began to speak her mind, how it felt being brought back alive, how the trauma from her death still haunted her, and how she felt after seeing everyone react to her revival. “I.. I thought I was gone forever. Anytime I screamed, anytime I shouted… no one would respond. I tried countless times to touch you Sunny, to try and comfort you… but I… I couldn’t.” Mari wept as terror grasped her mind. But Sunny reassured her, she was here… he could hear her loud and clear. 

“When… when I saw Aubrey I was filled with regret. I… I couldn’t help her, she… she needed me, she needed anyone… but I couldn’t help her.” Mari looked deeply at her hands, a red ooze covered them, she had scarred Aubrey it was her fault. “When.. when Basil told me he was sorry I… I couldn’t look him in the eye. I was scared… his sight… his cry… himself… it all scared me. But… but I knew his pain, I knew he was scared and truly sorry. I hated myself, how could I not forgive him, he suffered enough…” she couldn’t believe this is the person she became, was… was she even the same Mari her friends loved? “Sunny… am I really your sister? Am I not just some clone with the memory of her? That’s what Hero said right? That Necromancy was just complicated cloning.” 

Sunny wasn’t really sure what to tell her, Aubrey and him had been talking about it for a while but… they’d realized that this was the real Mari, it… it had to be right? “You...you’re my sister. I know I can’t prove it but… but I know you’re the real Mari… we all do. It wasn’t your fault… you still cared for us and… we know that. You did your best sis.” Sunny tried to reassure his sister. He didn’t really know what to tell her, it wasn’t something he could prove but… he knew it was the Mari that he loved. “And… even if you’re not the same Mari… we still love you..” 

The sun slowly began to rise as the two cuddled with each other. They used to do this often when they were little, when Sunny would have nightmares and the world seemed scary for him. Mari was always there to protect him… but now, he could protect his sister. They finally had each other again, two halves of a whole. They finally felt complete after all these years. 

Hero was the first to wake up. As he slowly got up he noticed the two siblings sleeping together, a smile on each of their faces as they cuddled, comforting each other with their warmth. “Good morning,” Hero whispered as he smiled. He still couldn’t believe that everything was back to normal. That.. Mari was back. He slowly headed towards the kitchen. As he reached for the coffee pot a sudden sharp pain rang across his shoulder. The bruises still remained and the cuts still oozed with blood. He held his shoulder whimpering in pain. Something was wrong… but what could it be, was… was the wounds from the fight that… bad?


	9. What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Weaker

Morning seemed to slowly begin for everyone as light flooded the bedroom through the tiny window in the wall. It’s white fluorescent sheets having no effect on the amount of light which entered the room. Kel slowly picked himself off from the floor. His bright orange sleeping bag reflecting much of the light into the rest of the room waking the other two up. Basil and Aubrey slowly began to rise as their eyes filled with orange, so much orange…

They slowly exited the room to notice Sunny and Mari sleeping on the couch, both of them relying on each other for support as they sat upright covered in a blanket. They looked so happy, something unimaginable a few months ago. 

Kel also noticed that Hero was missing. His sleeping bag was cleanly folded in the corner and it seemed he had gotten himself some coffee. But he was nowhere to be seen, maybe he went to go buy breakfast? It’s not the first time he disappeared out of nowhere. But something bugged Kel, Hero wouldn’t leave so suddenly. Or at least without saying good morning to everyone… something was wrong. Where did he go?

As they slowly flooded the living room Basil noticed a few red stains in the kitchen. They looked quite fresh. “Did… someone spill something here?” Basil asked as he looked down at the stain. It looked like… blood.  
“Not that I recall? Maybe it was Hero or the two sleeping over there.” Aubrey responded approaching the stain, she knew a thing or two about blood stains.   
Kel began to panic, this wasn’t right, something wasn’t right, why was his brother gone again? Blood stains? Did something happen to him?   
“Oh, this is just ketchup, nothing to worry about.” Aubrey said as she looked over to Kel and Basil. Kel sighed as Basil began to wipe up the stains, luckily they were on the tiles so they weren’t too hard to remove.

As Kel walked back into the bedroom to grab something Basil looked over at Aubrey, his face covered in concern. “Aubrey… that wasn’t ketchup… that was blood, why did you lie?” He asked as he looked back at where the drops were.   
“You saw how Kel looked… something’s wrong and I think Hero might be in trouble.” Aubrey responded, her expression switching from the smile she had a few seconds ago to now one of concern.   
“What should we do? Shouldn’t we go look for him? We should tell Kel, he would know where he went.” Basil whispered as his voice shook in fear. They weren’t going to lose Hero were they?  
“No, don't tell Kel, I don’t think he could handle the news. I’m going back to my house to grab my bat with Sunny. I need you to go with Mari and find Hero, notify us if he’s okay.” Aubrey whispered as Kel returned back into the room. He still looked a little concerned but no longer panicked. 

The two siblings slowly began to wake as the room became a little more rowdy. The rest of their friends were cleaning up the sleeping bags and anything else in the house that needed a little cleaning. “Good morning Sunny, Goodmorning Mari.” Kel stated as he noticed the two slowly waking. His energetic smile and uptone goodmorning was something everyone could use, especially on a rough day. 

Mari was the first to notice that Hero was gone, she walked over to the kitchen where she noticed the cup of coffee that seemed to be placed there for her. Where… had he gone?   
“Hey guys? Where’s Hero?” She asked as she took a sip of the coffee, it was still warm, with milk and sugar just the way she liked it.   
“We don’t know, he might’ve gone to get breakfast.” Kel answered as he folded his sleeping bag.   
“Huh, well hopefully he comes back soon, we have a busy day ahead of us. So what’s your guy’s plan?” Mari asked. The coffee rejuvenated her bringing the same bright Mari that they all knew and loved. Basil couldn’t help but look over to Aubrey who was sitting next to Sunny. She noticed that Basil was looking at her and gave him a single nod, they had to tell her. 

“Hey Mari, could we talk for a bit… preferably outside?” Basil asked as he approached Mari, trying his best to not have Kel over hear their conversation. Mari hesitated at first, she still couldn’t look Basil in the eyes… without seeing...it. But she noticed how concerned he looked, something was wrong and she could tell.  
“Sure, we can talk outside if you’d like.” She said. One way or another she had to overcome her fear, especially if it was for her friend. They both walked outside as Kel watched them in concern, they were hiding something from him… they always hid something from him.

“So Mari… Hero… he’s gone missing.” Basil started off the conversation, still a little concerned about talking to Mari and for the situation they were in.  
“Yeah I heard that, didn’t you guys say he went to go get breakfast?” Mari responded trying to fake a smile.  
“Aubrey and I think that… he might be in danger, we found a few drops of blood at the kitchen before you and Sunny woke up. We told Kel it’s ketchup... but it was b...blood for sure.”   
“I… oh no, do you guys have any clue where he might’ve gone? We should go look for him right now shouldn’t we?”   
“We… were actually hoping you would know where he might’ve gone… we can’t tell Kel or he might panic, and we don’t want him to be scared. Aubrey said that she and Sunny were going to do something before helping us find Hero.” 

Mari sighed, she knew that Hero only disappeared when he didn’t want to worry anyone. Often when something was wrong that they could help him with but he keeps a secret. What was wrong this time? Was it something he couldn’t tell them? Even after all they’ve been through.   
“Alright Basil, we’ll find Hero… hopefully.” Mari told him. He always needed help but everytime he would never ask for it, and Mari feared that this time it might be a little more important than before.

Sunny and Aubrey on the couch as they watched the morning news, much of it was static to them, they just wanted something to aimlessly watch as they felt each other's body warmth.   
“Hey Sunny, should I call Kim to get our bat back? In all honesty I’m not too sure how safe it might be with just the two of us…” Aubrey asked as the news began to talk about the weather, it was going to be a sunny day with little to no clouds.  
“I mean… sure?” Sunny responded. He wasn’t really sure what to tell her since the more people they had would be better but he also realized Aubrey was a little hesitant on this idea.   
“I just… it’s my issue and I shouldn’t be bringing people in… especially my friends… and you.” She said as she looked down at her hands. A large pain crawled down her back as she recalled the day her mother had slashed her. “But… I.. I’m scared to go alone…”  
At that moment Sunny gently held Aubrey's hand. A reassurance that she wasn’t alone. No matter what she faced, they faced together. She wouldn’t let her get hurt, no matter the cost.

Mari and Basil walked back into the room, Basil still looked a little worry but Mari was smiling… or at least trying to. “Ok guys, Basil and I are going to finish a little thing today, anyone else got any plans for today?” She exclaimed as she looked across the room. Kel was looking down at his shoes, he knew something was still off and wanted to know more… but his friends wouldn’t tell him.  
“Sunny and I are gonna go and get my bat back from my house, it shouldn't take more than a few minutes so we’ll be back after that.” Aubrey said. Hopefully it wouldn’t take more than a few minutes…. Aubrey wasn’t too sure what to expect back at home.   
“I… guess I’ll go… do stuff?” Kel questioned. In reality he was probably going to follow Mari and Basil but he didn’t know what to tell them. In reality he is going to do stuff so he wasn’t lying there.  
“Well… okay Kel you go do that stuff. I guess we can meet back here around 5? We still have another night for the sleepover so we’ll see you then.” Mari stated as she began to pack her bags, this was going to be an eventful day for sure. 

With that they split off, Mari and Basil decided now on a hunt for Hero after his sudden disappearance, Aubrey and Sunny off to retrieve Aubrey’s precious bat, and Kel… well Kel’s going to be doing some… interesting things, but no one knows that yet… not even Kel.

**Author's Note:**

> This is long over due but thank you for reading and for commenting. I swear I read all the comments and those meme ones... I sometimes use them. But every time I see a "this is a great fic" or any positive comment my heart skips a beat. Also I will gladly listen to criticism. It assures me that you've actually read my work. But... thank you truly from the bottom of my heart. This is really my "first" actual fic... so I'm glad it's doing well.


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